Archive for October, 2008
Paul Draper : The Dancer, not the Winemaker
From Wikipedia:
Paul Draper, a nephew of Ruth Draper, was a famous dancer, born in Italy.
Draper taught dancing at an Arthur Murray dance school. In 1930 he took tap dancing lessons at Tommy Nip’s Broadway dance school. After only six lessons, he sailed for London, confident that he would find work as a dancer. He scraped together a living performing flashy routines in Europe and the United States, then enrolled in the School of American Ballet and realized the possibilities of combining tap and classical ballet.
By 1937, he was performing at such venues as the Persian Room at the Plaza Hotel and the Rainbow Room. Carnegie Hall followed, then Broadway and a film version of William Saroyan’s Time of Your Life (1948).
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Crooked Fingers : Forfeit/Fortune
My pal Bryan and I went to listen to Crooked Fingers at the Turf Club last week.
Eric Bachmann and his band were in town to help promote their new album : Forfeit/Fortune
I’ve been biased towards his work ever since I first met him while living in Chapel Hill, NC all those years ago when Archers of Loaf turned our heads.
Here’s the trailer for the new DVD:
Personally, I think the new album is great. Neko Case sings on “Your Control” and I just can’t get enough of that tune. Making it the last track on the album was a good decision as it leaves me feeling empowered and optimistic in that non-cheesy, aware-of-the-dark-sort-of-way that only Bachmann can weave.
My life has intersected with Eric’s music at several turns and it was cool to tell him the story in person last week as we stood talking inside the Turf after his show.
This man is as true to the cause as any musician I’ve ever met. May all the gods pave the way for you and the band, Eric, as you continue the tour and your work on into the future. Long live Eric Bachmann. You have a fan in me.
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